Alternative Energy Sources

Alternative Energy Sources

The demand for energy across the globe will double by the year 2050 (International Energy Agency, 2006). Indeed, energy will continue to be a major component in powering economic activities in all societies. However, with the finite nature of non-renewable sources of energy, it is imperative that governments start investing in renewable sources of energy. This will ensure infinite sustainability of economic activities. Therefore, turning to natural means of generating energy through renewable technologies is one way of reducing the continued reliance on fossil fuels. There are significant benefits of using renewable energy compared to hydrocarbon fuels. First, they are economically viable and have less effect on the environment. In addition, they provide a good source that ends human dependence on finite fossil fuels. Therefore, countries can achieve the objective of healthier and clean environment by shifting to the use of biomass, biodiesel, Wind Energy, and Solar Energy. These sources are critical as they reduce global warming because of low carbon emission, as opposed to fossil fuels. This paper will focus on each of these sources of energy, analyzing the advantages as well as shortcoming.

Biomass

Biomass, as the term suggest, is the fuel that is derived from living organisms, which includes plants and animals. As a renewable source of energy, biomass can be used directly or directly. It can also be converted into other types of fuels such as biofuel. The use of biomass signals a brighter future because of the many benefits compared to conventional sources of energy (Brenes, 2006, Gehrke, 2009).

Concerns

Although biomass is an infinite source of energy, it potent some challenges to governments. It is feared that their use could lead to starvation because of using more land to produce energy crops instead of food crops (Brenes, 2006). As more people demand more land to raise crops fro producing biomass, there will be less land available for farming, housing, and agricultural land use. In addition, there is no wastage in the process of making biomass because only the oils are used in the production of energy, and oils cannot be considered to be food. The other concern is that biomass can lead to the destruction of natural ecosystems. Quintessentially, this means destroying the environment. However, this is not the case because the trend is shifting towards raising animals and crops for the sole purpose of producing biomass.

Positives

The use of biomass as a renewable source of energy comes with many benefits to societies. Biomass fuels can be produced in any country since they rely on widely available plants and animal wastes (Brenes, 2006). Theoretically, it is a source of fuel that can never be exhausted. This means less reliance on fuels from foreigners because; not all countries have oil reserves. In addition, biomass reduces wastage of energy compared to fossil fuels. This is because a small amount of input material is required in generating fuel. Moreover, the energy crops that are used in generating biomass have a 1 years cycle period. Plants can use up carbon dioxide emitted when biomass is burned, thus minimizing carbon emissions. Reduced carbon emissions mean less global warming (Brenes, 2006). Therefore, biomass is helpful in reducing the threats posed by climate change. The greatest benefit of biomass is that they burn safely, and this reduces pollution significantly.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a clean substitute of petroleum diesel that is produced from vegetable oils, animals’ fats, and recycled greases. It is safe to use and has less pollutants than petroleum diesel. The use of biodiesel in vehicles improves public health and the environment compared to fossil fuels. In addition, reduces engine wear by almost 50% compared to fossil fuels (Pahl, 2008). The reason is that biodiesel can lubricate many moving parts of the engine, thus increasing the engine life (Pahl, 2008). The product is also less toxic and has relatively less damage compared to petroleum diesel if exposed or released to the environment. Biodiesel can be made form anywhere in the world from a wide-ranging variety of ingredients. One important feature of biodiesel is that it can be used in any diesel engine without any modifications.

The natural availability of biomass is a great advantage over fossil fuels. They form an incredible source of fuel, thus lessening the dependence of limited fossil fuels. However, large-scale production has not been realized to match the amount of fossil fuel being generated daily. This long-term goal requires more investments. Nevertheless, the effort is worthy as the world will continue being safer as people shift to renewable sources of energy.

Wind Energy

Wind energy, as the term refers, is energy sourced from the wind. It is harnessed by turning the wind turbines to produce electrical energy (Rivkin & Silk, 2010). Wind is moving air whose motion is brought about by the suns’ heat energy. The wind turbines make the kinetic energy possessed by wind change or turn to mechanical energy, which in turn can be used, for other purposes like pumping water or in generators to produce electricity for lighting homes or running machines. The turbines, which are like propellers, are connected to a shaft, which in turn is connected to a generator, which produces electrical energy.

Wind energy is a renewable form of energy, which is cost effective, clean and can be used in place of other forms of energy like nuclear energy (Rivkin & Silk, 2010). Wind energy is a non-pollutant to the environment, and has continued to offer energy solutions in most parts of the world like the Middle East. The medieval wind machines are these days replaced with the modern ones that produce electricity, which is cost-effective, clean, and renewable for individual and industrial use (Wallace & Adler, 2008). It is argued that due improved technology and reduced cost of electricity from wind, most parts of the world like America are adopting to this source of power as a supplement to other forms of energy for industrial use. However, in the developing countries the production of this form of energy in bulk is not pronounced, since the little that is produced is only for small-scale use like water pumping, television, radios, and lighting. It is not self-explanatory or automatic that wind is used for energy production. The theory behind this is that, the global wind pattern is varied (Turk & Bensel, 2011). The variations of solar heating on different parts of the earth brings about differences in temperature on land, seas, mountains, and valleys which off course may affect the movement of air from one region of the earth to the other. This is because heated air becomes less dense and tends to rise and its flow can be affected by the terrain of the ground and other features like buildings and vegetation that slow down its speed. Wind of low speed may have little impact on turning the wind turbines (Rivkin & Silk, 2010). The result is low power or none at all.

Concerns

Despite the fact that the wind energy is a renewable form of energy, there are major concerns associated to planning the establishment of such a plant. They range from interference of electromagnetic waves; which carry communication signals, noise nuisance from generators to visual crash since most wind machines are big and so they tend to cause obstruction. Economics on cost of production is yet another concern. Despite the point that cost of running the machines is low, the cost of installation is very high owing to the point that wind blow depends on regions on the surface of the earth (Turk & Bensel, 2011). Therefore, if the installations are merely for domestic use then this mode getting energy may not be cost effective. On the other hand, the wind plant requires a spacious land to install, which is a limitation to most developing and industrialized countries where idle lands are a big challenge. Therefore, if every home had to fit a wind plant then the whole project becomes cumbersome. Even if some of the materials can be made locally like rotor blades, the cost remains high especially if the plant cost recovery is not subsidized by commercial uses like pumping commercial water, and grinding grain (Turk & Bensel, 2011).

Wind farms have been on the decrease due to increased taxation. This is because the tax is levied on the amount of power output. Owing to the cost of installation, the expected commercial benefits/returns, and taxation, the imbalance of the three parameters has stalled down or decreased the number of wind farms.

Positives

Although the installation costs can be essentially high, wind energy can replace electricity easily, minimizing the reliance on oil and natural gas. In addition, wind energy can be harnessed without the use of turbines. These benefits make it more viable than fossils.

Solar Energy

This energy comes directly from the sun. The sun is the most useful source of renewable energy. Indeed, the other forms of energy rely on the sun. For instance, biomass cannot be there if the sun was not there inn the first place. Plant life relies on the sun for their growth. One of the most obvious advantages of solar energy is that it does not emit greenhouse gases (World Bank, 2009). This makes it friendly to people and the environment. As countries rush to meet climate change obligation, solar energy provides a good platform for achieving such an objective.

Concerns

The major concern pertaining to solar energy is pollution, which emanates from fossil fuels. It is likely that the energy from the sun could be affected by the pollution from fossil fuels. However, as the world moves towards the use of renewable sources of energy, such concerns might diminish with time (World Bank, 2009).

Positives

Solar energy is one of the most abundant sources of energy. Besides, it is also critical in the generation of other forms of energy. Without the sun, life would simply not be there. Therefore, the generation of biomass, wind, and ocean energy all depends on the sun. Moreover, the sun also provides a secure and clean source of energy in homes and for industrial use. In addition, solar energy does not require raw materials like coal and oil. Besides the installation costs, every other thing is absolutely free (World Bank, 2009).

In summary, solar energy has been used for many years. Solar energy has been popular over the years. Indeed, the benefits of solar energy will continue to lower the costs associated with fossil fuels. Besides, many people have found meaningful employment through solar energy generation efforts. Its continued use will significantly lower reliance on fossil fuels (World Bank, 2009).

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is derived from the hot rocks underneath the earth. The fission of radioactive materials in the earth’s core and some places within the earth’s crust becomes extremely hot, which cause the water in the earth to become steam. Because of compression, the steam formed under the ground gushes out of the earth in the form of hot springs. The hot springs generate geothermal power (World Bank, 2009).

Concerns

Geothermal does not rely on the sun in any way to generate like other forms of renewable energy. However, the major concern is that hot springs need to be insecure environments. Besides, current technologies are deficient in extracting geothermal power at most places (Gupta & Kukanta, 2011). Without proper supervision, the host springs can be disastrous to those who go near them.

Positives

Geothermal power reduces the effects of global warming as lesser greenhouse gasses are emitted in harnessing the energy. Geothermal power requires less space to harness and maintenance costs are relatively less (World Bank, 2009).

In summary, geothermal power is useful in minimizing global warming. It can meet the needs of a secure environment as it reduces emissions to the environment. Besides, geothermal power does not have any wastages or by-products that can harm the environment.

Conclusion

In summary, this paper has addressed the challenges posed by non-renewable sources of energy in running economies. It is clear that fossil fuels cannot run forever. It calls upon people to look for other options of generating energy to meet their needs. Therefore, governments should invest in renewable or naturals sources of energy. The use of renewable sources is paramount as their use is indefinite. In addition, natural sources of energy do not have adverse effects on the environment, compared to fossil fuels. As highlighted above, there are many sources of renewable energy, and these will greatly minimize the reliance on fossil fuels. Moreover, the threat posed by fossil fuels on human health will significantly reduce as people revert to natural energy. Indeed, the quality of life on earth, as well as the overall well-being of all people is dependent on a healthy planet. This can only be achieved by the safe generation of energy. It is from this understanding that governments should formulate policies and provide the necessary frameworks for harnessing the natural sources of energy.

Although the dependence on fossil fuels can be minimized by the use of renewable energy, it is clear that the resources needed to enjoy the full benefits of renewable sources are enormous. This because there is no liquid fuel that can replace oil, in terms of scale and usage. Fossil fuels production and use is widespread. Therefore, long-term technologies for the production of renewable energy to match the current levels of fossil fuels are far from being realized. However, current trends focus on that direction.

 

References

Brenes, D. M. (2006). Biomass and Bioenergy. New Research. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Gehrke, R. (2009). Renewable Energies for Your Home: Real World Solutions for Green Conversions. USA: The McGraw Hill Companies.

Gupta, K. H. & Sukanta, R. (2007).  Geothermal Energy: an alternative resource for the 21^st century. Oxford: Elsevier

International Energy Agency (2006). Energy Technology Perspectives: Scenarios& strategies to 2050.New York: OECD Publishing

Pahl, G. (2008). Biodiesel: Growing a new energy economy. Washington, DC:  Chelsea Green Publishing

Rivkin, A. D. & Silk,L. (2010). Wind Energy. Burlington, MA: Jones & Barlett Learning

Turk, J. and Bensel, T. (2011). Contemporary Environmental Issues. Retrieved from: https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUSCI207.11.1/sections/fm

Wallace, M. & Adler, B. (2008). The Ways We Will be 50 Years from Today: 60 of the World’s Greatest Minds. USA: Thomas Nelson

World Bank, (2009). World Development Report 2010: Development and climate change. New York: World Bank Publications.

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